Thirty Seven and a Half Days
by infinite vertigo
Summary: It took Uchiha Sasuke thirty seven and a half days from the time he asked his girlfriend, Yamanaka Ino, to move in with him. SasuIno


**.disclaimer: don't own.**

_.__**title**__: thirty seven and a half days ._

_.__**pairing**__: sasuke x ino ;; sasuino._

_.__**genre**__: romance._

_.__**word count**__: 3,096._

_. __**summary**__: it took uchiha sasuke thirty seven and a half days from the time he asked his girlfriend, yamanaka ino, to move in with him._

_**.dedicated to my ino baby for being fabulous and amazing and lovely and i love her.**_

**.thirty seven and a half days.**

**day one**

When Sasuke asked Ino to move in with him, the girl was shocked. They had been together for seven months already and though Ino had to admit the idea did flit through her mind a few times, she never took it seriously. Because, after all, she was dating Uchiha Sasuke, the king of ice. She didn't care how slowly they moved through their relationship, just that they were together made her more than happy enough.

The Uchiha had just popped the question nonchalantly, as if he were asking her what she wanted for dinner. The words "do you want to move in together?" just flew out of his mouth, leaving Ino speechless and gaping for a good five minutes and he began to wonder if he had broken his girlfriend.

They had been sitting together on the couch, just spending time together. Ino had her legs resting on the Uchiha's lap, both sitting at opposite ends and sprawling the length. As the raven haired Uchiha was reading a novel that Kakashi had suggested (a non Icha Icha book, Ino had made sure of it) and Ino was flipping through a magazine, eyes skimming over make up tutorials and fashion advice when he asked the question.

_"Do you want to move in together?"_

She raised her gaze slowly, tearing her eyes away from how to create perfect curls overnight, to stare at Sasuke. He was looking at her with his piercing eyes, obsidian staring into baby blue, eyes normal in contrast to Ino's wide ones.

Moving in together was serious, Ino knew, Sasuke sharing his personal space with anyone was serious. It had taken weeks of waiting for him to invite her to his apartment and their first date there was awkward and stilted; Sasuke wasn't sure what to do, as he didn't want to take her to every room in his home, and Ino didn't want to overextend her stay and just sat there, frozen.

It had taken three more weeks for him to take her into his bedroom, which officially became their favorite room in the Uchiha estate.

But moving in together was completely different. It meant he was giving her access to everything in his house by asking her to move in, it meant he wanted to share his life with her, wanting to spend his life with hers without boundaries. It meant he was taking down the wall between the two, the wall that he built because of all those years of pain. It meant he was willing to let her chisel away what was left that guarded his heart because he trusted her.

Ino stared at him completely silent in total disbelief, blood rushing to her face. Sasuke seemed to take that the wrong way, as he allowed nervousness to flash through his expression at her unnerving silence.

_"If you don't…"_

_ "No, no, no, I do! I do, Sasuke-kun!"_

By the time Ino gathered her things and told her parents, it was noon when she moved in.

And so they began living together.

**day six**

Almost a week after they began living together, Ino began to feel comfortable using the kitchen and the bathroom, adventuring to them more frequently. She even spent time in the living room instead of staying in their room, despite how much Sasuke said it was fine, that he really didn't mind her walking around his home.

So on day six, when Sasuke woke up and the girl was already downstairs in the kitchen, he watched her from the staircase with a small smile etched on his lips. She busied herself in the kitchen, leaving everything out on the island as she was at the stove, humming and flipping pancakes and scrambling eggs, occasionally checking the bacon and sausages. A wonderful aroma wafted through the usually silent, almost dead Uchiha estates and a brief chuckle from the Uchiha's lips disturbed Ino. She looked over immediately, expression shocked for only a second more before she broke out into a wide grin.

_"It's about time you woke up, sleepyhead!" she had called, teasing him, "Breakfast is almost ready!"_

The raven haired man shook his head with a light chuckle but obeyed and walked over, the aroma growing stronger.

_"I've missed having someone I care about in this house with me."_

He said it quietly but Ino heard it, and it took her a moment to recollect herself. A pretty pink blush still decorated her cheeks when she served him, the small smile lingering on her pink lips.

**day eight**

They had their first fight on the eighth day.

Ino wanted room in the garden for her flowers, something she knew that Sasuke had to have known when he asked her to move in. After all, what was Yamanaka Ino without flowers? The Uchiha had a large plot of land set aside for his vegetable garden, nearly half of it devoted to his tomato plants which he checked several times every day. When she asked if she could have a bit of the garden to plant her flowers, he said yes.

When she asked if he could possibly have a bit fewer tomato plants so she could have more room, he said no. She tried reasoning with him, saying that he had the most tomatoes, more than he even needed and it made sense to cut down on what he had the most of instead of lessening the other plants, such as the chives and squash.

But Sasuke was adamant and Ino grew annoyed at him, more so at his stubbornness and reluctance to listen than the garden itself. _Why,_ she had nearly yelled at him, _are you so stubborn?!_

He didn't answer her and that just infuriated her even more. She had just stomped off in irritation, refusing to speak to him for three days. She saw him going out to check on the tomato plants nearly every day still, seeming to observe the size or something similar to the like.

She rolled her eyes.

_"Tomato loving freak."_

**day eleven**

They spoke to each other again on the eleventh day.

Ino was the first to break the silence, knowing Sasuke would never allow his pride to speak because that was the equivalent of an apology and Sasuke hardly ever apologized. She had asked him if he preferred strawberries or cherries, to which he answered 'tomatoes.'

She fell quiet and after several moments, Sasuke looked at her. The blonde was smiling, a gentle, serene smile perched on her pink lips and when she looked at him, her face shone with happiness and relief as she said "all right."

He didn't answer the question but he didn't mind because she apologized without apologizing.

She didn't get an answer but she didn't mind because he didn't apologize but apologized anyway.

**day fourteen**

Two weeks later after first moving in, Ino finally became comfortable in his house. She announced to Sasuke that she was going to go exploring the Uchiha just nodded, hardly paying her any heed. The blonde set out through the Uchiha manor, blue eyes scanning eagerly over the polished wooden floors and panels, closed sliding doors, and low hanging lanterns.

It was very traditional, she thought with a smile, and rather bare looking for obvious reasons. She thought she could spruce the place up with a few flowers here and there to brighten the atmosphere. She peeked into living rooms and meeting rooms, all so formal seeming that she felt pressured just looking in.

She went outside a few times into the gorgeous gardens aside from Sasuke's own vegetable garden, spending time with the grass reaching over her sandals and tickling her feet. She could hear the cicadas and see the sun illuminating every leaf, every petal of the garden. Branches of willowy trees grazed the surfaces of koi ponds, rippling with the slight breeze that day, the aroma of flowers sweet as she bent forward to smell them.

It took a bit of adjustment when she went back into the house, as once she closed the door, it suddenly seemed dark as the sunlight was blocked off. But once her eyes adjusted, she continued to wander around.

Sasuke wasn't at all surprised when Ino finally came back past midnight, the raven haired man lowering his book and smirking at her.

_"Did you get lost?"_

She immediately scowled as she pulled her hair out of its ponytail and headed into the bathroom to shower.

_"Don't you say anything, Uchiha."_

**day seventeen**

Two and a half weeks after moving in, Ino's father decided that it was time to drop by and check on them.

Sasuke spent the entire day cleaning and preparing the house, to the amusement of Ino. She had woken up and begun flipping through recipe books, shocked to hear a vacuum whirring because, as far as she was concerned, Sasuke hardly vacuumed the little carpeting in the house.

She lifted her feet obediently, asking him over the sound of the vacuum about his opinion on dishes and he nodded, throwing her a notepad and pencil, asking her to write down everything she'd need and he would go out and buy it. She rather enjoyed this control over him, she thought as she handed him the piece of paper and he immediately left.

Sasuke had etched a terrifying image of Inoichi into his head and, no matter how many times Ino said it, he wouldn't believe that Inoichi wasn't that terrifying. Just slightly overprotective.

They had cooked together, Sasuke revealing that he was rather adept at the culinary art. When Ino asked him why he always made her cook he just smirked, saying it was too much of an effort and, besides, she seemed to enjoy it.

She had let it slide only because he hastily added that her food also tasted much better than his.

From the minute that the doorbell signified Inoichi had arrived to his final farewell, Sasuke was rigid and formal, forcing what he believed to be the image of a perfect boyfriend. He smiled stiffly and asked questions that he obviously didn't care for an answer, feigning interest. Ino was mentally rolling her eyes and sighing during the whole ordeal as she watched an awkward Sasuke and a confused father.

_"This fish is delicious."_

_ "Thank you I have gone fishing with Kakashi-sensei a few times as part of training and have learned how to fish quite well. Do you fish?"_

Those were more words than Inoichi had ever heard from the quiet Uchiha and he had to take a moment to recollect himself.

Ino deemed this the most entertaining night in her life so far.

**day nineteen**

Two days later, Sasuke was assigned on a mission. It was to be expected, after all, he had gone nearly three weeks without one. Ino assured him that, really, it was fine, she could stay by herself, would it be all right if she invited people over?, to which he said, of course just don't let them burn the house down.

She smiled and kissed him gently at the door, the sun hardly rising yet, the world still mostly asleep.

_"Come back soon, all right?"_

Sasuke smirked and gave a nod.

_"Don't get lost in the house again."_

**day twenty**

Just one day later and Ino was already bored.

The Uchiha estate was a wonderful place to live in and Ino loved it, but it was far too spacious for her liking. She came from a house with her father and there was almost always someone else there if she was home, whether it be her teammates or her father and the men he worked with. She was used to vibrancy and life in the house, she wasn't used to dead silence.

She invited Sakura over and that made it slightly better, to have her best friend with her. The original plan was for the pinkette to stay a few days, until Sasuke came back. But she suddenly was called out on a mission, avoiding Ino's eyes when she told her this, a frown upon her features and Ino instantly knew that she was being dispatched as a medic nin to the mission Sasuke was on. Otherwise she would have no problem telling her why she had to leave.

_"You can ask Hinata or Tenten over,"_ Sakura had said, smiling ruefully as she packed up what she had brought with her, _"I'm sure they wouldn't mind."_

_"I don't know if Sasuke would like the idea of people he hardly knows staying here…"_ Ino sighed, shaking her head. _"I'll be okay! Good luck on your mission!"_

_ "I'll try my best for you, I promise."_

Sakura had hugged her and smiled widely before she left, leaving Ino along in the huge manor again.

**day twenty three**

Ino had watched nearly every DVD Sasuke had in his collection, resorting to watching a few of them over and over again.

She had hung out with Shikamaru and Choji a few times and trained with them, but they had their own plans. An invitation was extended but she declined with a smile, saying it was all right, she would be by herself for a few more days.

**day twenty four**

Except she wasn't all right by herself.

day twenty five

She was bored. Ino was a social person; she thrived off of the presence of others, enjoying talking to them.

She didn't like to be alone, it reminded her of when her mother died and how her father had begun working overtime as a way to forget about the pain. He tried to be there for Ino but it was hard; the girl didn't want her father to hurt more and pretended to smile, pretended to be okay, saying _"I'm okay, otou-san!"_ brightly.

She was terrified of being lonely, of being abandoned again.

_Sasuke, where are you?_

**day twenty six**

She was anxious. It wasn't often that a mission would keep Sasuke away for nearly a week unless it stated so in the summonings. It was a Team Seven mission, now that Sakura had been sent out as well, Ino thought warily. Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura. Konoha's Copy Nin, the future Hokage, the Uchiha prodigy, Tsunade's star pupil.

There was no way they would be defeated, Ino tried to tell herself over and over again, they were the strongest team in Konoha, made up of insanely talented shinobi.

She didn't have to worry.

**day twenty seven**

But she worried.

**day twenty eight**

All day, all night. Every hour, every minute, every second. With every breath came a hitch, a sudden spasm of worry seizing at her. She would inhale deeply and exhale to calm herself down, remind her that Team Seven was strong and wouldn't be defeated that easily. And then her heart rate would subside, hands stop shaking.

And then it would start all over again.

**day twenty nine**

Night time was the worst.

When the sunset, darkness engulfed her being, her mind, her soul. Worry would pervade her thoughts, anxiety shaking her body.

When the sunset, so did her hope, her optimism, her beliefs.

**day thirty**

She spent all day in bed, reminding herself that she wasn't alone, really, she wasn't alone and she wouldn't be; she had her team, her friends, her mentors, her village.

_I'm not alone._

_ I'm not alone._

_ I'm not alone I'm not alone I'm not alone I'm not alone._

_ I am not alone._

_ But I feel like I am._

**day thirty one**

_"Ino."_

She thought it was a dream when she heard the voice, wondering if it was her imagination fabricating a false reality to soothe her anxiety. But when she rolled over and opened her eyes, she saw him; battered, dirty, bandages hastily stuck on, still in his ANBU vest.

Immediately she leapt out of the bed and threw her arms around him, burying her face into his chest, body wrecked with sobs. She inhaled that familiar scent that she was scared she would eventually forget, feeling his arms wrap around her and a soft kiss placed to her temple.

_"I thought… I…"_

_ "You thought wrong,"_ he said softly, smile widening, _"I came back for you."_

**day thirty four**

Sasuke took three days to recover from the seemingly simple mission that was complicated with an ambush by the Akatsuki. They had escaped but what was important was that there were no fatalities and Ino made sure that the thought of sending anyone on Team Seven on another mission for the next two weeks didn't cross her mind.

He relaxed at home, spending most of his time in bed or reading on the couch, occasionally going outside to examine his tomatoes, just as frequently as he always did. She inquired and he turned to her, a sly smile on his lips.

_"You'll know soon."_

**day thirty seven and a half**

_"Sasuke-kun, it's nearly midnight!"_

_ "Keep your eyes and trust me, Ino."_

She obliged but not without an irritated sigh as she felt herself being navigated gently by Sasuke through the garden. He told her he wanted to show her something, a surprise, that was. One for surprises, Ino obliged but couldn't shake the thought that it was almost midnight and going out to the garden wasn't something she wanted to do.

_"Stop. Crouch down."_

She bent her knees and lowered herself, feeling Sasuke's hands still over her eyes. Her hand brushed something smooth and round on the way down and she instantly knew it was his tomatoes. _His stupid tomatoes._

_"Now… open them and pick a tomato."_

_ "That's your surprise, letting me…"_

Ino's eyes flew open at his words, ready to hit him upside the head; he dragged her outside so they could pick a tomato together? But the moonlight cast a reflective sparkle on a vine and Ino knew that to not be right. Frowning, she had focused to see why the stem of the tomato seemed to be sparkling and she gasped, eyes widening to see a diamond ring resting on top of the tomato.

_"That's…"_ she had stuttered, _"This… this is why you kept checking the tomatoes? You… this… you planned…"_

_ "I'm in love with you, Yamanaka Ino,"_ he ignored her rambling and looked at her gently, _"And I want to be with you forever, to marry you and take care of you, to never leave you alone. So, Ino…"_

He hesitated and she felt a red blush spread across her cheeks at the sight of his gentle, kind smile, her heart seeming to be racing.

_"Pick a tomato."_

**.author's notes: for my soul mate in the form of ino, i hope you enjoyed it! anyway, it's the thirty seven and a half day that he proposed because she moved in on noon and he proposed at midnight. …that may be a bit confusing, haha. reviews are much appreciated, thank you for reading!.**


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